PayPal censors journalists who criticize Israel (July 25, 2018)Under apparent influence from Benjamin Weinthal, PayPal chose to close down the account of the French online publication Agence Media Palestine. Such a move constitutes censorship as it denies journalists the means to raise money for their work and freedom to express ideas.

The Ideal of a Free Media Died Long Ago (June 4, 2018)Should the media include positive editorial content secretly paid for by major corporations, as London's Evening Standard newspaper has begun doing, according to new revelations?Most of us instantly recoil from any blurring between editorial and advertising in the media. How would we know if what was reported was factual, truthful and newsworthy or there simply as public relations spin? How could we trust anything we read?

The Ideal of a Free Media Died Long Ago (June 4, 2018)Most of us instantly recoil from any blurring between editorial and advertising in the media. How would we know if what was reported was factual, truthful and newsworthy or there simply as public relations spin? How could we trust anything we read? But here's a seditious idea. Would that be such a bad thing? Maybe it would better if we were far more wary of the corporate media and began to think of it chiefly as a sales platform  selling us an ideology harmful to our individual welfare and that of our societies.

What if Ida B. Wells Depended on Facebook? (May 8, 2018)The work of Ida B. Wells, the crusading journalist who forced Americans to pay attention to lynchings and human rights abuses, is a reminder why we need a tax-dollars-funded, and journalism focused, commitment to public media.

Denver Post Editor Who Criticized Paper's Ownership Resigns (May 3, 2018)Chuck Plunkett said he knew that he was risking his job as the editorial page editor of The Denver Post when he wrote an impassioned editorial last month blasting the newspaper's hedge-fund owners as "vulture capitalists" who had hobbled Colorado's largest newspaper with deep layoffs and cost-cutting. On Thursday, Mr. Plunkett resigned after he said an executive who oversees the newspaper refused to run another sharp-edged editorial Mr. Plunkett had written for this Sunday's newspaper.

Argentine Newspapers Recuperated by Workers' Cooperatives (April 10, 2018)An economic recession in Argentina that culminated in intense protests and the resignation of then-president Fernando de la Rua, also fostered the phenomenon of companies being recuperated by its workers as a cooperatives. In the last two years the majority of companies recuperated have been media outlets, which opens up new possibilities for journalism in the country.

Facebook and the Rise of Anti-Social Media (April 2, 2018)For those who haven't thought about it, the internet is insidious because of the very capacity that Cambridge Analytica claims to be able to exploit: customization. Users have limited ability to confirm the authenticity of anything they see, read or hear on it. Print editions can be compared and contrasted-- technology limits print media to large-scale deceptions. With the capacity to create entire realms of deception -- identities, content, web pages and entire online publications, trust is made a function of gullibility.

Propaganda! Pardon me, is mine really bigger than yours? (February 8, 2018)They say Propaganda! In the West, both the mainstream media and even some of the so-called progressive outlets are shouting: "Those Russians and Chinese and the others like them, they are at it again! Their vicious propaganda is infiltrating our democratic, freedom-loving countries, spreading confusion and chaos!"

Yes, ban or at least curb RT, contain TeleSur, and if at all possible, throw Press TV to the dogs. And put the writers of NEO, Sputnik, Global Times and other foreign outlets on that proverbial Western mass media 'no fly list'.

Apple and the Guardian: Partners in a Death Spiral (January 20, 2018)This report on Apple CEO Tim Cook's visit to a UK school to promote the company's new coding curriculum for schoolchildren could hardly be a better illustration of the way the Guardian newspaper serves as a key propagandist for aggressive global corporate capitalism, helping to create for it a façade of humanitarianism.

Whos Afraid of Corporate COINTELPRO? (November 3, 2017)On November 30, 2016, presumably right at the stroke of midnight, Google Inc. unpersoned CounterPunch. They didn't send out a press release or anything. They just quietly removed it from the Google News aggregator. Not very many people noticed.

Tabloids do not represent the working class (November 2, 2017)It should come as little surprise that media owned and run by unscrupulous billionaires like Rupert Murdoch and Richard Desmond should be more concerned with protecting the party of big business than it is with the wellbeing or interests of working class people. We need to call out the tabloid media for what it is  run by and for the elites.

Cowardly New World: Alternative Media Under Attack by Algorithms (October 26, 2017)An insidious assault is underway against alternative media on the internet. Leftist and progressive websites have been suffering significant declines in traffic. Some have had online income sources cut. Many others have been publicly defamed.The only voices speaking the truth, says Kollibri terre Sonnenblume, are those on the fringes and we must amplify them however we can. Some suggestions: * Read/view alternative media stories and share them in whatever venues you can.* Stop consuming mainstream media and stop posting links to it.* Actively support alternative media by donating money, time or other resources.* Stop using Google as your search engine; I recommend DuckDuckGo. You will be surprised at how much you've been missing.* Become the media: take your own photos or video and write up stories yourself for whatever outlet will take your work, even if that's only your own blog.

The Censorious Vortex of the "Flash News" Barons (September 22, 2017)For decades, the factors that decided what noteworthy stories would not find their way into print or on the air came down to the media's ignorance, laziness or from advertising restraints. For too long, the explosive material for good journalism in these and other areas had remained hidden in plain sight.

Sources News Releases (September 11, 2017)News releases from organizations and companies on a wide range of topics. Includes an extensive topic index, an archive of releases going back to the 1970s, and links to experts and organizations knowledgeable about the issues covered in the releases. Available via RSS feed as well as on the Sources.com website.

Manufactured Consent (January 25, 2017)Corporations don't just shape our politics or economics, they also seek to change public opinion to serve their interests. Which corporations play the biggest role in shaping knowledge and news? What do they fund? Who do they represent? What role have they played in the rise of authoritarian populists? This infographic for State of Power 2017 exposes those 'manufacturing consent'.

'Fake News' in America (December 18, 2016)Details the hypocrisy of the media and Democratic party's recent outcry over 'fake news', as the loose definition encompasses well-established media practices, and may be used to attack any alternative media source.

Sources HotLink - February 22, 2016 (February 22, 2016)We start off our year with a review of the last. According to the report, 2015 was a dangerous year for journalists overseas. In North America, we re-explore the debate between privacy and security and the curious case of Donald Trump. In South America, the issues with impunity remain ever prevalent.For our media relations professionals, we feature a fun guide to press releases and the words of thought leaders in digital media.Bookworms get The Man Who Recorded the World and film buffs get Control Room.

Big media versus the people (October 1, 2015)A look how "Big Media" shapes public attitudes, the economy, culture, leisure and education, and how governments have developed close relationships with the press in a way which has not been in the public interest.

Sources HotLink - August 12, 2015 (August 12, 2015)This issue features articles that are centred around the theme of the big overpowering the small; through physical violence, deception, law and slander. Those who are powerful have always exerted their strength to control the thoughts and behaviours of the weak. In the past, it was straightforward -- through force. In modern times, however, this control is much less obvious. For our marketers and public relations specialists, we offer guides in internet marketing: one article on the current state of internet communications and another article on search engine optimization. Also included in this issue is a film about corporate abuse of power and a book on news stories that stand the test of time.

Sources HotLink - July 22, 2015 (July 22, 2015)This issue features articles on censorship and violence. Closer to home, we look at media and public interpretations of the Charleston massacre. Overseas, we explore brutal police tactics and violent suppression of free expression. For our marketers, feature an expert interview on the current state of print media. Following the tone of the interview, we also feature a guide on incorporation social media into your marketing strategy. Also featured in this article, is a book on environmental exploitation and a movie on worker exploitation.

Sources HotLink - June 9, 2015 (June 9, 2015)This issue features many stories related to the themes of journalistic standards and censorship. With increasing pressure from corporations and governments, reporters are finding it more and more difficult to report on issues that affect powerful interests. The problem lies not only with top-down pressure and control, but also with journalists themselves. Journalists often frame their stories to support particular narratives or points of view. Also in this issue: books, movies and other resources related to the theme of censorship, journalistic integrity, and acess to information.

What needs to happen to save and rebuild the CBC (December 2, 2014)Can the CBC be saved and restored? Probably. But it will take some time and some good luck, as well as some heavy duty political lobbying. It is important that CBC supporters, including those who have fallen by the wayside during the destructive Harper years, unite behind some common goals and pressure the two opposition leaders to commit themselves to restoring the Corporation to its proper role in the country.

The Comic Book Simplicity Of Propaganda (October 4, 2014)The referendum campaign on Scottish independence heightened many people's awareness of the pro-elite bias of the 'mainstream' news media. The grassroots power of social media in exposing and countering this bias was heartening to see. But the issue of independence for Scotland is just one of many where the traditional media consistently favour establishment power.

An apology for the Danish cartoon crisis (May 30, 2014)One of the leading forces in the 200506 prophet Muhammad cartoon controversy, Danish Muslim activist Ahmed Akkari, now regrets his role as agitator and reveals a larger, more deliberate, and more vicious conspiracy behind the crisis than previously known.

Take This Job and Shove it (May 14, 2014)On May 1, International Workers Day, I walked into my publishers office mid-afternoon, after he finally came into work that day, and resigned as editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Business Journal, a position I had held for 20 years.The Alamo, located in the heart of downtown San Antonio, is an old, rather small former Spanish mission that has been around for some 300 years. The San Antonio Business Journal, by contrast, was launched a little more than 25 years ago  with Bill Conroy serving as editor-in-chief for 20 of those years. During that period, the newspaper was always profitable and I never had to fire a single person. Consequently, I had a kickass veteran reporting staff, most of them there at least 10 years  a rarity in the news business today. Ironically, then, I was the first person I ever fired, and it was due to two primary reasons.The first is as old as the newspaper industry itself, and baseball for that matter. When a coach of even a winning baseball team has a philosophical disagreement with a new general manager, over players or strategy, the coach almost invariably loses, and is out of a job. The same scenario holds true in the newspaper industry.

Canadian group not dealing with major free expression issue (May 3, 2014)We need to address how corporate-owned mainstream news organizations restrict the freedom of journalists and prevent the public from having access to a wide variety of important news and opinion articles. This lack of balanced information affects everything from people having the information they need to decide how to vote to all of us better understanding how power is exercised in our communities. The censorship consists of banning some topics and discussions and filtering out stories and ideas that do not fit the current mainstream media agenda.

2013-14 Review of Free Expression in Canada (May 3, 2014)Evaluates people, policies and institutions that help and hinder freedom of expression. The 2013-14 Review of Free Expression in Canada contains feature articles about some of the most pressing areas of free expression, such as access to information, digital surveillance, and the failure to protectwhistleblowers. Also: a Report Card and Cross-Canada Reports.

Propaganda (January 27, 2014)Today, it is clearer than ever to a growing number of people that there is something seriously wrong with 'the news'. The current system of planet-crushing propaganda relies on a mere façade of overall 'balance', 'reasonableness' and 'range of views'. In the UK, BBC News is the crucial foundation stone of this propaganda system, with the Guardian playing an accompanying role.

Recommendations on the right to be forgotten (2014)On the problems for the protection of freedom of expression and the right to information posed by the right to be removed from search engine results and, more broadly, the right to be forgotten. Privacy and freedom of expression are fundamental rights of equal value. Whenever one conflicts with the other, a balance must be reached under a judges authority because, as a matter of principle, one cannot be given more importance than the other.

Osama Bin Laden, Bradley Manning and Me (March 13, 2013)As far as can be deduced, the government believes that the documents and videos that Bradley Manning gave to Wikileaks, which Wikileaks then widely distributed to international media, aided the enemy because it put US foreign policy in a very bad light.

The BBC's 'Bogeyman' Narrative on Hugo Chavez (March 7, 2013)The changes in Venezuela, and throughout Latin America, over the past decade: the development of peaceful, democratic alternatives to the policies of neoliberalism; standards of living improved for millions of people following a process that has had popular, democratic support, are at risk of being written off as simply the actions of another 'anti-American' 'bogeyman' due to the media's relentless negative treatment of the Venezuelan government.

Masters of the Internet (February 7, 2013)The Internets unbalanced control structure provides an essential basis for US corporate and military supremacy in cyberspace. While the US government exercises an outsized role, other states possess scant opportunity  individually or collectively  to regulate the system.

Why Are We The Good Guys? - Book Review (September 18, 2012)One of the unspoken assumptions of the Western world is that we are great defenders of human rights, a free press and the benefits of market economics. Mistakes might be made along the way, perhaps even tragic errors of judgement. But the prevailing view is that 'the West' is essentially a force for good in the wider world. Why Are We The Good Guys? is a provocative challenge to this false ideology.

The Only Game in Town (September 1, 2012)Private newspaper owners have vaulted themselves into a historically unique situation, which enables them to sculpt the news to serve their personal interests while circumventing the costs that come with true adverserial journalism.

A Death Sentence For Africa (December 15, 2011)Carbon emissions, already at their peak, will continue to increase for at least the next eight years, pushing humanity closer to the brink of climate collapse. Rather than address the madness of a global system of corporate-led capitalism that is bulldozing us to this disaster, the corporate media mouthed deceptive platitudes.

Bias in the Eye of the Beholder (October 11, 2011)In a time of economic instability, growing poverty, and chronic income and financial insecurity, Americans are increasingly critical of a governing system that they feel has failed in providing for their basic needs. This general distrust, however, can at times manifest itself in ignorant and destructive ways. So it is with the liberal bias claims, which misdirect public attention away from the very real bi-partisan, official source bias of the media, and toward some mythic media conspiracy to marginalize conservatives in favor of an elite liberal agenda. We should be careful to acknowledge this reality next time we hear friends, family, or acquaintances lamenting the liberal media elite.

The Dangerous Cult of the Guardian (September 28, 2011)The Guardian includes some fine reporting and occasionally insightful commentary. Possibly because it is farther from the heart of empire, it is able to provide a partial antidote to the craven coverage of the corporate-owned media in the US. Nonetheless, it would be unwise to believe that the Guardian is therefore a free market in progressive or dissident ideas on the left. In fact, quite the contrary: the paper strictly polices what can be said and who can say it in its pages, for cynical reasons we shall come to.

The Koch Whisperers (September 12, 2011)A review of documents and tax records for the dizzying, interconnected web of corporate front groups, frequently created, supported and influenced by Charles or David Koch, shows just how dangerous these groups espousing free markets and liberty have become to a free society. The game plan is to devalue the rights of actual citizens by seeking human voices dangling from a corporate marionette string, that might be willing for the right amount of cash incentive to broadcast the Orwellian reverse-speak: liberty means more liberty for corporations (corporate serfdom for real citizens); freedom means corporate freedom to privatize national resources, pollute the environment and fleece the consumer with impunity; free market means the freedom to draw a dark curtain around how the corporations are actually screwing us and stealing our liberty.